Method of knitting a two feed stocking



March 6, 1962 P. A. MAHLER METHOD OF KNITTING A TWO FEED STOCKING FiledApril 28, 1959 J pezzgmh 3,Z3,594 Patented Mar. 6, 1962 3,023,594 METHODF KNlTTiNG A TWQ FEED STUCKlNG Peter A. Mahler, Philadelphia, Pa,assignor, by mesne assignments, to Singer-Fidelity, Ina, Philadelphia Paa corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 28, 1959, Ser. No. 809,438 Claims.(Cl. 6642) The present invention relates to stockings formed on circularhosiery knitting machines, of the dual feed type, and has particularapplication to stockings employing two yarns of difierentcharacteristics throughout the leg and foot, for example 8 and Z twisttorque strength yarn.

When making stockings of this type on a dual feed machine, it isnecessary by reason of the machine limitations to produce the heelpocket of the stocking by single feed operation. the needle cylinder toprovide a plurality of short courses which vary in length in apredetermined manner so that when the terminal loops of the shortcourses are interknit with one another or with the preceding full courseof the leg or the next succeeding full course of the foot, a pocket isformed which conforms to the heel of the wearer. The terminal loops ofthe short courses form gore marks which are aligned in the stocking toproduce characteristic gore lines defining the heel pocket. The gorelines in the heel pocket are acceptable. However, prior to the presentinvention, both the final full course before the heel pocket and theinitial full course following the heel pocket were formed from the sameyarn fed by the main feed station, which produced two succeeding coursesacross the instep having the same character of yarn. Throughout the legand the foot of the stocking, the yarn of one character alternates withthe yarn of the other character so that the aforementioned adjacentcourses of the same character yarn interrupted the alternating patternof the courses and produced an undesirable line across the instep of thestocking at the point of formation of the heel pocket.

With the foregoing in mind, the present invention provides a stockingwherein the line across the instep is eliminated.

More specifically, the present invention provides a stocking in whichthe final course before the formation of the heel pocket is formed ofone character of yarn and the initial full course following theformation of the heel pocket is formed by a yarn having anothercharacteristic. V

The invention also provides a novel method of knitting a dual feedstocking wherein the main and auxiliary feed produce alternating coursesof yarns having different characteristics throughout the leg of thestocking, the yarn fed by the man feed having one characteristic, andthe yarn fed by the auxiliary feed having a contrasting characteristic.The heel pocket is formed by yarn fed by the main feed, and the footportion of the stocking is formed by alternating courses of yarns fed bythe main and auxiliary feeds, the main feed inserting yarn having theaforesaid contrasting characteristic, and the auxiliary feed insertingyarn having the first characteristic.

All of the objects of the invention are more fully set forth hereinafterwith reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view of a circular knit stocking embodying the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the knitting head of a circularknitting machine for producing a stocking made in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side in left hand elevation of the gore lines atthe left hand side of the stocking heel pocket;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view elevation of the gore lines at the right handof the heel pocket of the present invention; and

The pocket is formed by oscillating FIG. 5 is a development of the heelpocket of the stocking embodying the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the stocking of the present invention comprises aleg portion 1, a foot portion 2, and a heel pocket 3. Embodied in theheel pocket are gore lines indicated generally at 4 and which aredefined by gore marks coincident with the terminal loops of the shortcourses forming the heel pocket. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, there aresimilar gore lines on opposite sides of the heel pocket.

In the leg portion 1 of the stocking, the main feed knits with a yarn A,for example an S torque stretch yarn and an auxiliary feed knits with ayarn B, for example a Z torque stretch yarn. Thus, throughout the leg ofthe stocking, the courses alternate between yarns A and B With referenceto FIG. 5, immediately prior to the formation of the heel pocket, theauxiliary feed is withdrawn as indicated at 6, the terminal portion ofthe yarn B being interknit with the yarn A in the final full course 7 ofthe leg 1 formed by the main feed prior to the forma tion of the heelpocket. This is accomplished as shown in my copending application,Serial No. 692,670 now Patent No. 2,987,900. Following the Withdrawal ofthe auxiliary feed yarn B, the needle cylinder of the knitting machineis oscillated to provide a plurality of short courses 8 which vary inlength in a predetermined manner to provide the desired heel pocket. Theheel pocket is completed in the conventional manner and the main feed,prior to forming the initial full course 9 of the foot 2, following theheel pocket, is operated to knit the initial full course 9 with a secondyarn B having a characteristic similar to the yarn B of the auxiliaryfeed, for example a Z torque stretch yarn. The auxiliary feed is theninserted into action as indicated at It), for example in a mannerdisclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 692,670, but insteadof inserting the yarn B, a contrasting yarn A similar to the yarn A isinserted. Thus, the adjacent full courses 7 and 9 across the instep ofthe stocking follow the alternating pattern of courses throughout theleg portion and no line is apparent where the courses 7 and 9 areinterknit.

In the foot portion 2 of the stocking, the main feed knits with the yarnB and the auxiliary feed knits with the yarn A. These courses alternatethroughout the foot to continue the pattern of the leg and instep.

Referring to the development shown in FIG. 5, follow ing the last fullcourse 7, the needle cylinder starts oscillatory action to form the heelpocket. The first oscillation begins at the point 12 in FIGS. 4 and 5 toform the first terminal loop of the first short course, and the initialpath of that oscillation terminates at the point 13 in FIGS. 3 and 5 toform the other terminal loop of the first short course. From thesepoints, as best shown in the development of FIG. 5, the oscillations arepro gressively narrowed by withdrawal of needles to the points 14 and15; then widened by reverse process to the points 16 and 17; againnarrowed to the points 18 and 19; then widened in a single course fromthe points 18 and 19 to the initial points 12 and 13; further widened byprogressive needle insertion from the points 12 and 13 to the points 21and 22; and finally again narrowed progressively to the points 23 and 24where the full circular knitting and dual yarn feed are restored. Itwill be noted that the gore line which extends between the points 13-and 22 is formed by the interlacing of the terminal loops of theprogressively widened courses of oscillatory knitting described abovewith the last preceding course 7 of loops. The same interlacing occursbetween the points 12 and 21. The gore line which extends between thepoints 22 and 24 is formed by the terminal loops of the short courseswhich are interlaced with the first full course 9 following theformation of the heel pocket. The gore line from 21 to 23 is formed inlike manner. As described above, the auxiliary feed withdrawal andinsertion at 6 and respectively, is timed to occur adjacent the gorelines 22--13 and 2123 respectively 50 that the tying-in of the looseends of the auxiliary feed yarn is concealed by the gore lines.

In accordance with the invention, the transfer of feed from yarn A to Bin the main feed may occur at any point within the heel pocket, but itis preferred to effect the transfer at a point which will be concealedby the gore lines, for example where the final short course merges intothe initial full course 9 following the formation of the heel pocket asindicated at 30. This is preferred since the transition from yarn A to Bproduces a short run of double or plated loops which if not concealed,would appear to be a flaw in the stocking.

Following the insertion of the yarn B in place of the yarn A at the mainfeed, the yarn A is inserted by the auxiliary feed at the point 10, andthe knitting of the foot is resumed to provide alternating courses ofyarn A and B, thereby continuing the pattern of the alternating coursesA and B of the leg portion of the stocking without interruption andobviating the line which would otherwise appear coincident with thecourses 7 and 9 across the instep of the stocking.

The mechanical means for effecting the transfer and selection of theyarns A and B and B and A, is conventional and requires, as shown inFIG. 2, a knitting machine having at least two feed fingers 31 and 32 atthe main feed station 33 of the knitting machine and at least two feedfingers 34 and 35 at the auxiliary feed station 36 of the knittingmachine so that the yarns may be selectively inserted into the needlecircle 37 surrounding the dial plate 38 of the machine. Of course, otherfeed fingers may be provided at the main and auxiliary feed stations 33and 36 to provide welt yarns and the other yarns conventionally used inthe knitting operation for forming a complete stocking. Preferably, theknitting machine embodies the mechanism shown in my copendingapplication, Serial No. 616,002, now abandoned in favor of applicationSerial Number 811,067 (US. Patent No. 2,987,899) to enable tying-in ofthe loose ends of the auxiliary yarn at the commencement and terminationof the formation of the heel pocket. Suitable yarn-end control apparatus(not shown) is provided on the dial 38 for severing and controlling theends for insertion and withdrawal from the needle cylinder.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been hereinillustrated and described, it is not intended to limit the invention tosuch disclosure, but changes and modifications may be made therein andthereto within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In the method of knitting a circular-knit stocking on a machinehaving a rotary needle circle and at least two feed stations, comprisingthe steps of forming the leg portion of the stocking by continuousrotation of the needle circle in one direction and providing alternatingcourses of a first yarn of a given characteristic and a second yarn of acontrasting characteristic by feeding the two yarns to the needle circleat the first and second stations respectively, withdrawing the feed ofyarn at the second station and locking in the terminal end of the secondyarn at the first station prior to interrupting said continuous rotationin one direction, thereafter interrupting said continuous rotation inone direction and forming a heel pocket by oscillating the needle circleto provide a plurality of short courses at the first station, andthereafter forming the foot portion of the stocking by continuouslyrotating the needle circle and feeding two yarns of the aforesaiddifierent characteristics to said needle circle at the two stations toprovide alternating courses, and controlling the feeds of yarn so thatthe final course of the leg portion is formed of a different yarn thanthe initial course of the foot portion.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said control is effected byinserting a contrasting third yarn into the needle circle along with thefirst yarn at the first feed station after knitting the final fullcourse of the leg section and interknitting the two yarns to form a runof composite loops, and thereafter withdrawing said first yarn prior toknitting the first full course of the foot section whereby the yarn ofthe last leg course is different than the yarn of the first full courseinserted by the first feed station.

3. The method of knitting on a multi feed circular hosiery knittingmachine having a rotary needle circle and at least two feed stations astretch stocking having formed in that order, a leg portion, a heelpocket, and a foot portion, said stocking embodying both 8 and Z torquestretch yarns, the steps of supplying a first one of said stretch yarnsto the needle circle at the first station and supplying the second oneof said stretch yarns to the needle circle at the second station to formthe leg portion with alternating courses of S and Z yarns, withdrawingsaid second yarn at the second feed station during the formation of thelast full course in the leg section at the first feed station, knittingthe heel pocket with yarn inserted at the first feed station, insertinga third yarn similar to the second yarn at the first feed station afterforming the last full course of the leg portion and before forming thefirst full course of the foot portion to interknit simultaneously withsaid first yarn and form composite loops thereafter withdrawing saidfirst yarn from the first feed station prior to forming the first fullcourse of the foot portion whereby said latter course is formed by thesingle third yarn, and inserting a fourth yarn similar to the first yarnat the second feed station at the cm] of said latter course to form thesec- 0nd full course of the foot portion from said yarn, and thereaftercontinuing the knitting of said foot portion with alternating courses ofS and Z yarn.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the insertion of the third yarnchange at the first feed station is made after the completion of thefinal course of the heel pocket so that the composite loops areinterknitt with the terminal loops of the heel pocket courses.

5. A method of knitting a stocking having short courses defining a heelpocket on a multiple feed circular hosiery knitting machine having arotary needle circle and at least two feed stations including a mainfeed station, comprising the steps of knitting the leg portion of thestocking with a given yarn at the main feed station and another yarn atthe second feed station, knitting the heel pocket short courses at saidmain feed station, then changing the yarn at the main feed station to acontrast ing yarn, and then knitting the foot portion of the stockingwith said contrasting yarn at the main feed station and another yarn atthe second feed station, whereby the yarn change is concealed in aportion of the gore lines defined by the terminal loops of said shortcourses.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,961,636 Lawson June 5, 1934 2,208,300 Burd et al. July 16, 19402,223,072 Lombardi Nov. 26, 1940 2,370,450 Clarke Feb. 27, 1945 FOREIGNPATENTS 792,760 Great Britain Apr. 2, 1958

